#exhausted out of my absolute gourd so that really doesn't help with the surreal factor!

[silverbastardgoldenfool]

Have spent the last 24 hours on high alert because a bushfire was raging out of control one suburb over. Apparently it's the first of this severity in this area since 1997, which makes sense because I have definitely never experienced such proximity and actually having to get stuff together just in case we have to leave. It was in a nature reserve, but at midnight a change of wind caused it to double in size which then very suddenly put homes at risk. I woke up in a panic at 4am and checked my phone to see that certain areas were being told to shelter indoors as it was now too late to leave and the extreme heat alone could kill you. This is all like 5 minutes drive from me. I had to get up and close all the windows because of the smoke. Obviously I didn't get back to sleep after that.

Thank fuck it's been pissing down rain all day today as yesterday was the last day of a heat wave that lasted longer than a week. The rain, along with hundreds of firefighters, have helped get the blaze under control. Unfortunately one home was completely destroyed and another badly damaged. Countless people didn't get the earlier alerts and woke up to screaming and a sky full of embers in the middle of the night. Thankfully it doesn't appear any people have been harmed, but no word yet about wildlife, horse paddocks etc. I believe the fire spread to another reserve which is my favourite place to walk, and reached the road I always choose to drive down even when it's not the most convenient specifically because of the mountains and greenery there. This isn't a poor-me thing, it's just fucking surreal, and I'm also completely sleep-deprived and still full of adrenaline that my body doesn't know what to do with. Overall though I'm obviously extremely grateful that we're all safe and sound. Just a really weird feeling.

Anyway I guess this is your reminder to have a fire plan no matter where you live.